Healthy Sandwich: Skip Mayo and Use Avocado

A sandwich sounds like a healthy meal, but if yours isn't a real sandwich without a thick layer of mayonnaise, then you're looking at added cholesterol and calories you could do without. So the next time you make or order a sammy, spread a quarter of a ripe avocado on your bread instead of mayo. As you can see from the chart below, you'll end up with plenty of flavor and less calories, cholesterol, saturated fat, and sodium. Avocado also offers fiber and potassium.

Or you could use the avocado to make chocolate mousse instead. :) I just tried it this week (I was admittedly highly skeptical) and it's delicious. You just blend the flesh of a ripe avocado with 1/4 cup good quality Dutch-processed cocoa powder, 1 tsp good vanilla paste or extract, and about 8 medjool dates (soaking them in boiling water first, draining and mashing with a fork makes it easier to blend them smooth, I've found). Blend everything well with a hand mixer or food processor, preferably put in the fridge for awhile, and then eat. So good. Alternatively, I've also had good results omitting the dates and just sweetening with maple syrup or agave nectar to taste.

oooooh Tapioca, I love adding hummus to ANYTHING :) I add a tablespoon to tomato sauces I make to add a little creaminess without just adding cream, plus with all the flavor it makes people go "hmm.. what IS that..." its a secret ingredient :)

I've never liked mayo and so I substitute it for plain yogurt with hummus. The ratio is probably 80/20 yogurt/hummus on account of hummus having some kick and I don't want it to overwhelm the recipe. But mashed avocado works well too sometimes and always is tasty.

If you go with Light mayo (I use Hellman's) the stats are lower than for regular in almost all those all categories. For example, 2 tablespoons of light mayo are 70 calories, 7g fat and less than 1g cholesterol. It's less in fiber than avocado, so that's a tradeoff, but it's certainly a good alternative to regular mayo, and I can't tell the difference in taste at all. But I LOVE avocados too (even when they're expensive in the winter), so I make room for both in the foods I make!